ABSTRACT: "The Smoking Gun" conversation: Haldeman and Nixon discuss the progress of the FBI's investigation especially the tracing of the source of money found on the burglars. They propose having the CIA ask the FBI to halt their investigation of the Watergate break-in by claiming that the break-in was a national security operation.

A discussion of how Hunt's involvement in the Watergate break-in would point the investigators to the CIA, and potentially, Hunt's role in the Bay of Pigs debacle.

ABSTRACT: A discussion of press treatment of the break-in and lawsuits; discovery of another bug in the DNC; bugs in other political campaigns; DNC lawsuits; Edward Bennett Williams; RNC countersuits; election law violations; Congress; the burglars' civil rights; the Washington Post's TV & Radio licenses; depositions on sex-lives of DNC members.

ABSTRACT: January 8: The President and Colson discuss the possible reasons why McGovern was bugged, with some apparent confusion on the part of the President. This conversation also sheds some light on the CIA connection between Liddy and Hunt, along with Colson's attitude towards both men.

ABSTRACT: March 17: A discussion between the President, Dean, and Haldeman in which the President counsels Dean on possible testmony. Also discussed: using the FBI for non-political purposes; a rationale for the Watergate break-in; President compares the Watergate hearings with the Alger Hiss case.

ABSTRACT: This conversation between the President and Haldeman reveals the President's growing frustration with the Watergate affair. Haldeman pleads with the President to protect their "friends" on the Watergate side; Haldeman tries to convince the President he will survive this crisis; concern over Mitchell's knowledge of Liddy's intelligence operation. Haldeman is fatalistic about his own fate; he believes he will be a fall guy to protect others.

ABSTRACT:The "Cancer on the Presidency" conversation: Dean recaps the history of the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up for the President. They guess at who was responsible for setting the break-in in motion. Dean tells the President that the cover-up is "a cancer on the Presidency" that must be excised or his Presidency would be in danger. Also discussed: references to blackmail, perjury; discussion of paying the burglars off with one million dollars.

ABSTRACT: Dean advises the President about Hunt's involvement; attempt to shield the President from any wrong-doing; payment of money to Hunt. Also discussed: the President's relationship with Dean, and how the President was dependent on Dean's advice.

ABSTRACT: Subjects covered include: the possible use of $350,000 in campaign contributions to pay the Watergate defendants; appearance as obstruction of justice; a plan to distance the President and his closest associates from John Mitchell and the Watergate; President fears that Mitchell will be convicted, then conceives a legal strategy to save him.

ABSTRACT:
Topics discussed include Executive Privilege; testimony of White House staff in open hearings; conduct of Senate Watergate hearings; Dean asked to report on White House staff involvement in Watergate, Segretti dirty tricks; PR aspects of release of report; Senate Committee use of executive session for staff testimony; Chapin testimony as a test of Executive Privilege; PR problem of invoking Executive Privilege; Dean's role as counsel; Grand Jury subpoenas; "modified limited hangout": everything short of public session testimony; the issue of ex-employees; Executive Privilege equated to invoking the Fifth Amendment; President: "stonewall it" if necessary for containment; White House contacts with the Committee.

ABSTRACT: Subjects covered include: public relations aspects of Watergate; Mitchell's role in the break-in; White House staff implicating itself in cover-up to protect Mitchell; Magruder's history of the "super-intelligence operation" at the White House and Committee to Re-Elect the President; Dean's response to Magruder's views; Mitchell's role in approving the break-in; Hunt's testimony before the Grand Jury; possible immunity deal for Liddy; Dean's lack of prior knowledge of break-in; Mitchell's dilemna; possible meetings with Magruder and Mitchell; McCord's testimony; Magruder's perjury and reaction to prospect of jail time; possible immunity deal.

ABSTRACT: Discussions of press coverage and the issue of campaign funding; Hunt's testimony; President insisting, publicly, to Mitchell, Magruder, Liddy not to withhold testimony thinking they to protect the President; reports of promises of pardons, clemency; implications of hush money to defendants; possible Ehrlichman meetings with Mitchell, Magruders and their lawyers; possible grand jury appearance by the President; legal exposure of Dean, Haldeman, Chapin in the cover-up.

ABSTRACT: This conversation recounts Ehrlichman's meeting with Mitchell and his attorneys earlier that day. Topics discussed include: dissuading suspects from remaining quiet thinking they were protecting the President; origins of the break-in; Operation Sandwedge (intelligence-gathering operation at the Committee to Re-Elect the President; Dean influencing Magruder's testimony; Mitchell and Magruder's prior knowledge of break-in; conflict between Liddy and Magruder; payments to defendants; disposition of $328,000; pressure from Kleindeinst to appoint a Special Prosecutor; White House role in break-in; an upcoming meeting with Magruder and his attorneys; involvement of Strachan and Colson; Dean's views; Hunt's attorney; clemency discussions; Mitchell's legal prospects.

ABSTRACT: Segment 1: Ehrlichman discusses his conversation with Magruder and his two lawyers; history of Operation Sandwedge (intelligence-gathering operation at the Committee to Re-Elect the President); quality of intelligence gathered from DNC; the coverup; Gordon Strachan's perjury; Magruder's upcoming testimony; money for Watergate defendants; legal exposure of Dean, Haldeman and Colson; Mitchell's prospects in court.

Segment 2: Mitchell's problems; President insists that money raised for expenses of burglary defendants was not hush money; Colson potential testimony of white House staffers before Senate Watergate Committee.

Segment 3:Ehrlichman discusses the legal position of Haldeman and Dean after recent disclosures; money for Watergate defendants; prosecution of Mitchell.

ABSTRACT: Ehrlichman and the President discuss coversations with GordonStrachan and Richard Kleindeinst; Kleindeinst's request for a special prosecutor; risks of special prosecutor; Colson and money for Hunt; Strachan's upcoming testimony; obstruction of justice exposure of White House Staff; Bittman's role; Colson's exposure; Liddy's testimony and sentencing prospects; Dean's role in money for defendants; Magruder's knowledge.

ABSTRACT: "Dean Resignation": President discusses the need to have resignations of Dean (and Haldeman and Ehrlichman) "at the ready" and offers two options, "indefinite leave of absence" or "resignation", depending on plea; Magruder questioned about Haldeman and Ehrlichman's role in cover-up; contrast between involvement of White House staff in break-in and cover-up; Hunt's blackmail; review of March 21st conversation; Executive Privilege; plumbers operation; Senate hearings; Segretti's dirty tricks operation; the need for open testimony; Ehrlichman's instructions to Colson regarding clemency for Hunt; Petersen's reports to President; form resignation letter.

ABSTRACT: Segment 1: Topics include: possible claims of Executive Privilege in testimony; claim of national security; conversation with Dean about a resignation letter; previous knowledge of break-in by White House staff; Dean's failure to write down his Report; possibility of announcing that Ehrlichman will continue the investigation.

ABSTRACT: Subjects covered include: discussion of the possibility that Dean
recorded conversations in the Oval Office; Dean's word against the President's; the Dean Report; Dean's prospects for immunity; potential for loss of support for the Administration; White House taping system.

Segment 2: Topics include: Colson's need to avoid specific knowledge of details of Hunt's activities; Hunt's insistence that commitments made to defendants are not being kept; Colson's contacts with Dean.

Segment 3: Topics discussed include Kalmbach's upcoming testimony; his conversations with U.S. Attorney Earl Silbert; Dean cooperating in hopes of immunity; Ehrlichman's legal exposure; need to reiterate that money to defendants was a legal defense fund; need to make the point that both Kalmbach and Ehrlichman were following Dean's lead.